Has anyone tried using a cooler thermostat for their engine? I mean the one that goes in the cooling system to keep the engine at a specified temperature? We must have a 195 degree thermostat in our Hemi engines, as I noticed the engine runs 200-206 degrees temperature, as seen on the digital readout - I have electronics group.

A cooler running engine would mean more horsepower.

Has anyone tried a 160 or 180 thermostat?

Just curious,

Bob

 

Bob, a cooler one will mess up the engine management system as I understand it. It has to do with smog stuff. Sound real technical huh
mike

 

Not true. You want your engine as hot as can be without boiling. It's more efficient in burning gases therefor more horsepower. You want the gas as cool as possible.

 

From what I have read in the past cooler is better. I don't know enough yet about my car so I am going to leave that alone for now!

 

heat soak is generally a bad thing.

 

I would not go lower than 180 stat. Anything lower might throw a tbl. code.

 

Cooler is better only due to the density of the intake air charge coming into the motor. The cooler the intake air is, the denser it is, that means more power. That is why cars sometimes feel more responsive on cool rainy days.

Conversely, a hotter combustion chamber will be more efficient in terms of combustion. Most easily recognized in reduced emissions. However, too hot and nitrous oxide, NOX, the part of emissions that reacts to sunlight that forms the smog you can see, emissions go up quickly.

It is all a balancing act of sorts. It depends on what you are after. The OEMS must find the right balance to pass emissions certifications.

Having said that, there is a tempurature the computer recognizes and puts the system into closed loop operations to control emissions.
Too cool a thermostat can mean a trouble code as the computer will not go into closed loop mode. On the Chrysler Hemi, I do not know yet what that tempurature is.

 

The trucks with HEMI's throw codes at 180*. I would leave it alone until there some programming options out there.

 

I ran a 160 degree thermostat in my 96' Impala SS and it ran okay with no error codes, but then, I did have the computer reprogrammed.

I also ran it with no catalytic converters, aren't I a bad boy?

Cooler is better for horsepower, hotter is better for emissions.

Bob

 

Don't need to be that bad. Use Random Technologies hi flow cats. Same results as no cats, but, certified legal.